History & Mission

Create positive human connections through coffee by building a socially responsible business.

Since our inception in 1996, Portland Roasting Coffee has been sourcing directly and building sustainable relationships with coffee farmers and communities. We are guided by a set of values that affects every decision we make with regard to our customers, farmers, products and employees.

We have always aimed to be a business that is rooted in relationships with an eye towards global betterment. We value each and every relationship we have with our local community, our farmers, our clients and all of our business partners.

Our longstanding relationships in coffee communities have paved the path for many projects at coffee origin and beyond. Beginning with our first direct trade shipment from La Hilda Estate in Costa Rica and our first project in 1999 with Finca El Paternal in Guatemala it was clear that our customers saw a strong connection between communities in need and their cup of coffee.

Every year we commit resources to a global project supporting a community in need. Portland Roasting collaborates with Portland Global Initiatives to raise awareness of the growing global water crisis and to fund water wells in sub-Saharan African communities. Through local community participation we can provide much needed water and sanitation for those who lack these basics.

Your purchases have helped support us in community projects at all ends of the globe. Together, we have planted shade trees in El Salvador, provided school supplies for an orphanage in Sumatra and placed water wells in East Africa.

Explore Our Projects

An important part of our history and mission is our involvement in global stewardship. Strong and lasting relationships with our global coffee community is a huge part of what makes Portland Roasting Coffee special. The gallery below features some of our favorite stewardship projects that we have been fortunate to be a part of. These include work in several countries and regions that are responsible for growing our coffee.